A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MAECENAS. MAECENAS. 891
by his patronage of the most eminent poets of his Lepidus. The only direct authority for the statetime, but also by several performances of his own, ment of Maecenas having been at Actium is an
both in verse and prose. That at the time of elegy ascribed to Albinovanus on the death of
Julius Caesar's assassination he was with Octa- Maecenas, which is certainly spurious; and the
vianus at Apollonia, in the capacity of tutor, rests commentary of Acron on the first epode of Horace,
on pure conjecture. Shortly, however, after the which kind of authority is of little value. The
appearance of the latter on the political stage, we first elegy of the second book of Propertius has
find the name of Maecenas in frequent conjunction also been quoted in support of this fact, but upon
with his; and there can be no doubt that he was examination it will be found wholly inadequate to
of great use to him in assisting to establish and establish it. Yet the existence of Horace's first
consolidate the empire; but the want of materials epode still remains to be accounted for. Those
prevents us from tracing his services in this way critics who deny that Maecenas proceeded to Acwith the accuracy that could be wished. It is pos- tium have still, we believe, hitherto unanimously
sible that he may have accompanied Octavianus in held that the poem is to be referred to that epoch;
the campaigns of Mutina, Philippi, and Perusia; and they explain the inconsistency by the supposibut the only authorities for the statement are a tion that Maecenas, when the epode was written,
passage in Propertius (ii. 1), which by no means had really intended to accompany Caesar, but was
necessarily bears that meaning; and the elegies prevented by the office assigned to him at home.
attributed to Pedo Albinovanus, but which have In confirmation of this view, Frandsen, in his
been pronounced spurious by a large majority of Life of Maecenas, appeals to the 35th ode of
the best critics. The first authentic account we Horace's first book, addressed to Augustus on the
have of Maecenas is of his being employed by occasion of his intended visit to Britain, a journey
Octavianus, B. C. 40, in negotiating a marriage for which it is known he never actually performed.
him with Scribonia, daughter of Libo, the father- But to this it may be answered that Augustus at
in-law of Sext. Pompeius; which latter, for political least started with the intention of going thither,
reasons, Octavianus was at that time desirous of and actually went as far as Gaul; but proceeded
conciliating. (App. B. C. v. 53; Dion Cass. thence to Spain. A more probable solution, therexlviii. 16.) In the same year Maecenas took part fore, may be that first proposed by the author of
in the negotiations. with Antony (whose wife, this article in the Classical Museum (vol. ii. p. 205,
Fulvia, was now dead), which led to the peace of &c.), that the epode does not at all relate to AcBrundisium, confirmed by the marriage of Antony tium, but to the Sicilian expedition against Sext.
with Octavia, Caesar's sister. (App. B. C. v. 64.) Pompeius. But for the grounds of that opinion,
Appian's authority on this occasion is supported by which would occupy too much space to be here
the scholiast on Horace (Sat. i. 5. 28), who tells us re-stated, the reader is referred to that work.
that Livy, in his 127th book, had recorded the By the detection of the conspiracy of Lepidus,
intervention of Maecenas. According to Appian, Maecenas nipped in the bud what might have
however, Cocceius Nerva played the principal part. proved another fruitful germ of civil war. Indeed
About two years afterwards Maecenas seems to his services at this period must have been most
have been again employed in negotiating with An- important and invaluable; and how faithfully and
tony (App. B. C. v. 93); and it was probably on ably he acquitted himself may be inferred from the
this occasion that Horace accompanied him to unbounded confidence reposed in.ll him. In conBrundisium, a journey which he has described in junction with Agrippa, we now find him empowered
the 5th satire of the 1st book. Maecenas is there not only to open all letters addressed by Caesar to
also represented as associated with Cocceius, and the senate, but even to alter their contents as the
they are both described as "aversos soliti componere posture of affairs at home might require; and for
amicos." this purpose he was entrusted with his master's
In B. C. 36 we find Maecenas in Sicily with seal (Dion Cass. li. 3), in order that the letters
Octavianus, then engaged in an expedition against might be delivered as if they had come directly
Sex. Pompeius, during the course of which Mae- from Octavian's own hand. Yet, notwithstanding
cenas was twice sent back to Rome for the purpose the height of favour and power to which he had
of quelling some disturbances which had broken attained, Maecenas, whether from policy or inclinaout there. (App. B. C. v. 99, 112.) Accord- tion, remained content with his equestrian rank;
illg to Dion Cassius (xlix. 16), this was the first a circumstance which seems somewhat to have
occasion on which Maecenas became Caesar's vice- diminished his authority with the populace.
gerent; and he was entrusted with the adminis- After Octavianus' victory over Antony and
tration not only of Rome, but of all Italy. His Cleopatra, the whole power of the triumvirate cenfidelity and talents had now been tested by several tered in the former; for Lepidus had been preyears' experience; and it had probably been found viously reduced to the condition of a private person.
that the bent of his genius fitted him for the cabinet On his return to Rome, Caesar is represented to
rather than for the field, since his services could be have taken counsel with Agrippa and Maecenas
so easily dispensed with in the latter. From this respecting the expediency of restoring the republic.
time till the battle of Actium (B. c. 31) history is Agrippa advised him to pursue that course, butMaesilent concerning Maecenas; but at that period we cenas strongly urged him to establish the empire
again find him intrusted with the administration and Dion Cassius (lii.!4, &c.) has preserved the
of the civil affairs of Italy. It has indeed been speech which he is said to have addressed to Octamaintained by many critics that Maecenas was vianus on that occasion. The genuineness of that
present at the sea-fight of Actium; but thebest document is, however, liable to very great suspimodern scholars who have discussed the subject cion. It is highly improbable that Maecenas, in a
have shown that this could not have been the case, cabinet consultation of that kind, would have adand that he remained in Rome during this time, dressed Octavianus in a set speech of so formal a
where he suppressed the conspiracy of the younger description; and still more so that any one should